Essentially Amsterdam – Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Wednesday September 2, 2026

Good morning, Amsterdam. Today: drivers launch a rival taxi booking app, tawny owls breed in Flevopark for the first time, and geothermal sensors appear across Cruquius.

Amsterdam drivers launch rival taxi booking app: Local drivers have created their own platform to challenge the high commission rates charged by Uber and Bolt. The new service aims to lower ride fares while leaving drivers with better earnings.

Gas prices expected to peak this winter: Experts warn that gas prices will rise significantly during the coming cold season. The increase comes as the Netherlands struggles to fill its gas reserves in time.

Tawny owls breed in Flevopark for first time: A pair raised five fledglings in the park after nest boxes were installed. City ecologist Koen Wonders expects territorial calling to resume from October.

Geothermal sensors placed across Cruquius neighbourhood: Small white and orange devices installed near trees and bushes are mapping underground heat layers. The seismic research project runs across Amsterdam and 14 nearby municipalities through December.

Drop in small parcel imports follows new fee: The number of small packages arriving from outside the European Union fell sharply following a new import charge. Online shops are shifting toward bulk shipments stored inside the bloc.

Summer NS train discount deal comes to an end: Monday, 31 August marks the official conclusion of the discounted Nederland Dal Vrij subscription. The rail promotion is ending as scheduled.

Puppet theatre mystery about a stolen birthday party: A forty-minute children’s performance follows Appel and police officer Sam as they try to recover her missing birthday. 2 September, 10:30, 12:15, 14:00, Kindertheater De Toverknol. 📅 FAMILY SHOW

Free puppet shows starring Jan Klaassen and Katrijn: Drop into the indoor passage for a half-hour traditional puppet performance, completely free and open to all ages. 2 September, 15:00 – 15:30, De Hallen Amsterdam, De Passage. 📅 FAMILY SHOW

Singing and movement workshops for toddlers and parents: Forty-five minutes of dancing, vocal games, and piano exploration designed for toddlers alongside their parents in North Amsterdam. 2 September, 10:00 – 10:45, Treehouse NDSM. 📅 CLASS

Renovation tile painting using fast-drying acrylic markers: Children use leftover wall tiles and quick-drying markers to draw their own take-home designs in an hour. 2 September, 15:00 – 16:00, De Kinderboekwinkel. 📅 KIDS WORKSHOP

Try an introductory multimedia art session for kids: A weekly creative class led by practicing artists covering drawing, sculpture, and mixed media across different age groups. 2 September, 15:15, Factor IJ. 📅 CLASS

Sample sale featuring children’s seasonal jackets and coats: Racks of summer and winter jackets in sizes 80 to 152 are priced at flat tiers for cash-only shoppers. 2 September, 19:00, SampleSale 4 Kids. 📅 FOOD / MARKETS

Layered synthesizer loops and live percussion with Bayonne: Roger Sellers builds intricate, atmospheric electronic soundscapes live on stage using pianos, synths, and percussive loops. 2 September, 22:00, Paradiso. 📅 DANCE / PERFORMANCE

A double bill of live Latin rhythms and cumbia: Two live musical acts share the stage for an evening of danceable rhythms, starting with an acoustic duo set. 2 September, 20:00, De Nieuwe Anita. 📅 DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Weekly live jazz session featuring Ben van Gelder: Four seasoned jazz players perform live on stage before the room opens up for jam session participants. 2 September, 21:00, Sociëteit de Kring. 📅 DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Preliminary live showcase round for the Amsterdamse Popprijs: Emerging musical acts compete live on stage in this annual regional band competition to earn a spot in finals. 2 September, 19:00, Toekomstmuziek. 📅 DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Five-piece New York collective WHATMORE in concert: High school friends blend alternative R&B, hip-hop, and indie rock into an energetic live set across town. 2 September, 19:30, Cinetol. 📅 DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Toy piano, contemporary scores, and choreography in try-out: Elizabeth Goh and Ashley Ho combine classical piano, toy instruments, and physical movement to interpret twentieth-century scores. 2 September, 20:00, Splendor. 📅 THEATER

Poetic pop and new album previews with Iris Penning: The former Eindhoven city poet brings her backing band to play literary Dutch pop songs and unreleased material. 2 September, 20:00, Roode Bioscoop. 📅 DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Watch Spielberg classics outdoors beside the IJ waterfront: Grab dinner on the waterside terrace before an open-air English screening with Dutch subtitles on the riverbank. 2 September, 20:45, FC Hyena. 📅 FILM

True stories and hot soup at Mezrab’s open stage: Tellers sign up to share personal tales from the rug, with bowls of soup served before things kick off. 2 September, 20:00 – 22:30, Mezrab. 📅 STORY / READING

Ruth Franklin and Arnon Grunberg discuss Anne Frank’s legacy: A literary conversation unpacking how the diary author was transformed into a global icon, joined by novelist Yael van der Wouden. 2 September, 20:00, De Balie. 📅 TALKS / IDEAS

Original thirty-five-millimetre screening of 1981’s Clash of the Titans: Ray Harryhausen’s iconic stop-motion monster epic screens in its original format without subtitles as part of a classic retrospective. 2 September, 21:00, Eye Filmmuseum. 📅 FILM

Live improv comedy wrestling with modern artificial intelligence: Two hours of rapid-fire sketches, musical numbers, and improvised games culminating in a scene played directly against AI. 2 September, 20:00, Boom Chicago. 📅 THEATER

Panel debate on data centers, infrastructure, and artificial intelligence: Authors and academics discuss the physical energy demands and environmental footprints left behind by large-scale computing systems. 2 September, 20.00, SPUI25. 📅 TALKS / IDEAS

Immersive roaming runway presentation for Amsterdam Fashion Week: Models weave directly through the audience wearing accessories and garments from independent designers while DJs play all evening. 2 September, 19:00, COKO space. 📅 DANCE / PERFORMANCE

Midweek English stand-up comedy along the Prinsengracht: Touring comedians and local regulars test new English-language stand-up material during a two-hour barroom comedy showcase. 2 September, 20:00, Prinsenstraat 5. 📅 THEATER

Documentary on Darius Brubeck followed by live bar jazz: Watch Michiel ten Kleij’s film tracing South African jazz education under Apartheid, followed immediately by live music downstairs. 2 September, 20:00, De Kring. 📅 FILM

Participatory postcard exhibition addressing modern urban loneliness: Visitors leave anonymous written notes on a growing wall of postcards surrounded by photography, animation, and recorded piano. 2 September, 08:00 – 22:00, OBA Oosterdok, Fotogalerij. 📅 ART / MUSEUMS

Participatory visual art tackling isolation in De Hallen: Six artists present mixed-media installations exploring loneliness, inviting visitors to contribute directly to evolving gallery artworks. 2 September, 12.00 tot 18.00 uur, Galerie Beeldend Gesproken, De Hallen. 📅 ART / MUSEUMS

Hands-on maker evening with Raspberry Pi and 3D printers: Bring a laptop and experiment alongside other hobbyists with microcontrollers, Arduino circuits, and digital fabrication tools. 2 September, 19:00 – 21:00, OBA Oosterdok, Maakplaats. 📅 GAMES / HOBBIES

Trial evening class in foundational observational drawing skills: Seçil Güven provides paper, easels, and materials for adults trying out basic sketching techniques in a supportive studio. 2 September, 19:30 – 21:30, Art Studio Amsterdam – Centre. 📅 CLASS

Evening acrylic painting workshop paired with cold drinks: Spend two hours completing an original acrylic canvas with supplied paints, brushes, and a glass of wine or beer. 2 September, 18:30 – 20:30, Stretch and Fold. 📅 WORKSHOP

Drop-in studio afternoon for independent craft projects: Bring your own needlework, drawing pad, or hobby project to work alongside others over bottomless tea and snacks. 2 September, 12:30 – 17:00, Flow Community Studio. 📅 GAMES / HOBBIES

Open studio session for ceramics, mosaics, and upcycling: Pick a technique from clay to textile customization, using provided studio equipment and kiln firing for glazed pieces. 2 September, 19:30, Amsterdam House of Arts & Crafts. 📅 WORKSHOP

Explore movement through the Double Skin Double Mind dance method: A welcoming dance class focusing on breathing, jumping, expanding, and reducing, suitable for all experience levels in English. 2 September, 19:00, Space for Dance Art (Westbeat). 📅 CLASS

Midweek social drinks for expats in De Pijp: International residents and locals gather in a reserved bar space to unwind over drinks, bites, and easy conversation. 2 September, 19:30, Gloria’s (de Tulp). 📅 NETWORKING

Casual board game gathering in the Oostenburg neighborhood: Play modern strategy favorites like Azul, Catan, and Ticket to Ride with fellow board gamers free of charge. 2 September, 19:30, Over de brug. 📅 GAMES / HOBBIES

Tech community social with team games and sponsored drinks: Product managers, designers, and developers meet for team icebreakers and informal networking over complimentary refreshments. 2 September, 16:15, Amsterdam. 📅 NETWORKING

Startup pitch presentations and investor questions in a cafe: Early-stage tech founders deliver brief presentations followed by audience questions, with time for casual networking afterwards. 2 September, 18:00, Café CHA CHA. 📅 NETWORKING

Founders pitch live before a panel of active angel investors: Startups get direct, unfiltered feedback from experienced operators and venture investors after presenting their business decks. 2 September, 18:30, Nes 50. 📅 NETWORKING

Informal tech mixer for artificial intelligence builders and investors: Engineers and founders showcase early AI projects over drinks, followed by open audience questions and conversation. 2 September, 18:00, Café CHA CHA. 📅 NETWORKING

Curated pitch hour and mixer for artificial intelligence founders: Selected startup founders present live tech demos before spending the rest of the evening networking with investors. 2 September, 18:00 – 21:00, Café CHA CHA. 📅 NETWORKING

Haarlemmermeer conference on business innovation and technology financing: Corporate leaders from Schiphol and Microsoft host Dutch-language breakout sessions and workshops on future-proof technology financing. 2 September, 12:00, Schiphol. 📅 TALKS / IDEAS

Discounted evening drinks for Amsterdam’s marketing professionals: Marketers, copywriters, and media practitioners get together for monthly casual after-work drinks with discounted bar tabs. 2 September, 18:00, Café de Geit. 📅 NETWORKING

Waterside business lunch for fashion and lifestyle entrepreneurs: Founders in fashion, travel, and beauty introduce their businesses over a shared terrace meal with drinks included. 2 September, 11:00, Strandzuid. 📅 NETWORKING

WebAds summer drinks gathering on the Prinsengracht: Colleagues and contacts gather at a canalside cafe to toast recent milestones and enjoy the late summer evening. 2 September, 17:00 – 20:00, Restaurant Café Van Puffelen. 📅 NETWORKING

Papa Zatarra: Papa Zatarra is an all-day spot in Oostenburg, one of Amsterdam’s newest and most sustainable neighbourhoods. The glass-fronted corner space opens up in summer and hosts boozy brunches, salsa nights, oysters and bubbles, and drag brunches. 2 September, 17:00 – 21:00, Papa Zatarra.

Utage Sake Bar: Featuring sand-colored plasterwork and traditional curtains, this Japanese bar serves sharing dishes and tapas alongside a selection of premium sake.

Poppy: Located at Papaverhoek 39 in Amsterdam-Noord, this lively venue serves crisp pizzas alongside drinks, featuring weekend DJ sets and plenty of space for large groups.

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